Here we are at the third of four days of my look back at the 20 films I reviewed during the year of 2024. I did a bunch compared to the recent past with: 2023, nine reviews; 2022, nine reviews; and 2021, five reviews.
The good news: For 2024, I’ve reviewed 20 films and brought my total of reviews to 404 since I started the blog in May 2014. The bad news: Not all the 20 films were good!
Since the total is 20 reviews, I’m spreading my year-end review out over four days. Here is the third day and here are today’s six recaps of reviews from 2024:
‘Dirty Mary Crazy Larry’ – ** ½ – review posted May 19, 2024
(1974; 93 minutes; rated PG; directed by John Hough and starring Peter Fonda, Susan George, Adam Rourke and Vic Morrow)
Here is a classic “chase” film from the 1970s. It has stars that appealed to the youth market, a few “muscle cars” and a whole lot of livin-on-the-edge. This is a film about a couple of guys who plan to rob a supermarket (remember when they had a lot of “cash” on Fridays because that’s when workers got paid and went shopping?) and make their getaway in a souped-up vehicle. However, the wild card becomes a woman who likes to have fun. You’ll enjoy it!
‘Dawn of the Dead’ – **** – review posted June 23, 2024
(1979; 127 minutes; rated R; directed by George A. Romero and starring David Emge, Scott Reiniger, Ken Foree and Gaylen Ross)
Here is what was my favorite zombie flick for 35 years until it was unseated by “Shaun of the Dead” in 2004 and that was unseated by “Zombieland” in 2009. This film is a sequel to a classic horror flick and both are by horror specialist director George A. Romero. However, this one has the most gore, violence and just human pathos that I never thought another zombie flick could take away its crown. Of course, the story is world’s being taken over by zombies and a group of people decide to hole up in a shopping mall. You take it from there …
‘The Eiger Sanction’ – *** – review posted Dec. 11, 2024
(1975; 129 minutes; rated R; directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Clint Eastwood, George Kennedy, Vonetta McGee and Jack Cassidy)
Here is one of Clint Eastwood’s 1970s efforts and he was churning out flicks annual at the time. The film is an adaptation from a best-selling novel of the same name and is about an art professor who’s moonlights as an assassin to make money to buy black-market art masterpieces. Of course, there’s double-crossing, backstabbing and all the other things that go into the world of espionage and killing. It’s a solid translation of the book, although the author hated the film because a young mountaineer died in a climbing accident during filming.
‘Gator’ – *** – review posted May 3, 2024
(1976; 115 minutes; rated PG; directed by Burt Reynolds and starring Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reed, Jack Warden and Lauren Hutton)
Here’s a sequel that reviewed before reviewing the original (see below) and this is a pure Burt Reynolds action-drama. Jerry Reed does a superlative job as the cruel gangster with a taste for young girls. Reynolds is blackmailed into going after Reed when he’s hit with a moonshining charge. The story then spins forward to a predictable conclusion … although you’ll find hilarious that Reed’s bodyguard is so tall that he has to drive with his head sticking up for the sunroof!
‘The War with Grandpa’ – ** ½ – review posted July 9, 2024
(2020; 94 minutes; rated PG; directed by Glenn Jordan and starring Robert De Niro, Uma Thurman, Rob Riggle, Christopher Walken and Jane Seymour)
I initially thought this film was just a throw-away comedy with Robert De Niro cashing a check, but then I saw the supporting cast of Uma Thurman, Christoper Walken, Cheech Marin and Jane Seymour and had to revise my initial thoughts about the film. The story is about a geezer who has to move in with his daughter due to his age and the calamitous outcome of such a cultural change in the family. Rob Riggle is in the supporting cast, too, and he’s pretty solid in this one. There are too many stereotypes for this one to overcome and be a great film, but you’ll have fun and it is pretty much family-friendly.
‘White Lightning’ – *** – review posted May 12, 2024
(1973; 101 minutes; rated PG; directed by Joseph Sargent and starring Burt Reynolds, Jennifer Billingsley, Ned Beatty and Bo Hopkins)
I first reviewed this film’s sequel (see it above) with Burt Reynolds playing “Gator McCluskey.” However, this one is better because of direction by Joseph Sargent (originally it was to be a Steven Spielberg production but he bailed to do a different project) and its plot/screenplay is better. Reynolds is a good ol’ boy on the trail of killer cops who did in a family member. Frankly, Sargent brings a bit of depth to the story, but you can’t escape that it’s a Burt vehicle (no pun intended).
There you have it! The third of four days of reviewing my film reviews from 2024.
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(CLICK here … for all my reviews of ‘007’ movies)
(CLICK here … for all my reviews of war movies)
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